


here (in your arms)

by bluetint, yyyugmoney



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 1940s, Bucky Barnes Feels, M/M, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Sleepy Cuddles, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Sudden Size Difference, angst if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-18 09:44:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19332037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluetint/pseuds/bluetint, https://archiveofourown.org/users/yyyugmoney/pseuds/yyyugmoney
Summary: It's been a few days since Steve saved Bucky from Hydra's base. Steve wants to think everything's back to normal, but it's not, especially after the serum. When they try to sleep next to each other like old times, Bucky looks at him like he's a stranger and it hurts.





	here (in your arms)

Steve's not used to his new body yet. He says he is, but there are instances that indicate he isn't.

For example, Steve has always been able to fit into Bucky's side. The space under his arm where Steve could easily tuck himself into whenever Bucky came home from work or Steve needed a little warmth during the cold winters.

It's winter, and while his body is suitably warm and doesn't feel the chill at all, Steve's a creature of habit, as is the rest of him, and he's a little shocked when he tries to snuggle into Bucky's side only to end up squishing him.

So they compromise. They have to.

Bucky grunts, but tries to fit his much leaner body under Steve's massive arm. Said arm pulls him closer so he won't fall off the bed.

Bucky feels Steve's breath at the back of his head. He wonders if this was how Steve felt before he had this new body. How small he must have felt. How warm. How protected.

It’s amazing how the shock of being kidnapped and experimented upon was swiftly replaced by the shock of seeing Steve jacked up like one of those pinups with beefy male models in suggestive poses he’d seen plastered in the back rooms of _those_ bars.

Steve, on the other hand, feels a bit nauseous. He's never had Bucky's (now smaller) back flush against his front like that. He’s never felt so _big_ in his life until this moment.

'Does he hate this body? Does he... not want me anymore?'

Bucky feels Steve's rapid heartbeat against his back and he hears a click in his throat. Bucky turns so they're facing each other.

Steve’s never seen Bucky’s mesmerizing blues stare up at him like that in a long time. He’s only ever seen those eyes boring into his when Bucky thinks he’s hurt Steve in some way.

"Hey," Bucky whispers, a pin drop in the silence of their huge tent, and he flattens his palm against the _thud thud thud_ on Steve's chest.

"Hey," croaks Steve, throat suddenly dry. He shifts and Bucky, for a fleeting second, misses the sharp elbows digging into his side, the shaky breaths whenever Steve had exerted too much effort, and the ribs he could feel through the shirts, even though these instances concerned him more than half the time.

Steve closes his eyes at the feeling of Bucky's palm on his chest. It's not as flat as it used to be because of the serum that filled him in places where, in the past, would have been bony and weak.

Before, it was Steve snuggling into Bucky for warmth, the night accompanied by Bucky cursing out Steve's cold hands and feet digging into his skin. Now, it's Bucky doing that, except his hands and feet aren't deathly cold and Steve is like a goddamn furnace pressed flush against him and there is way too much heat between the two of them.

Bucky feels too hot and Steve’s short breaths on his face are just too much for his already thundering heart.

He doesn't mean to, really, but when he starts to shift in Steve's hold, the latter lets go as if burned. Steve frowns, an apology already rising in his throat.

"I-I'm sor—" Steve starts.

"No! I... um... you're... really warm, Steve. I'm just not... used to it."

Steve arm is still frozen in the air, eyes glazed with rejection and worry, when Bucky looks at him, a frown on his lips, "Hey. Don't worry about it, buddy."

Steve can't bring himself to hold Bucky again in fear that he'd only make things worse.

Steve feels so awkward, so _strange_ in his new body. It doesn't work like its supposed to. Actually, it does work like it's supposed to, it's just Steve's not used to it working this way.

Bucky looks at everything but Steve's face, squeezing where he can reach. "You're just so... _thick_ now. I ain't used to you all warm and pink like this. You used to be so pale," he chuckles, smile finally reaching his eyes.

Steve feels like crying.

Bucky, finally, _finally_ , looks up at Steve, sees the telltale moisture in his eyes, the quiver of his lip, and goes, "Hey." Warm hands, that used to feel big to Steve, used to cup his whole face, cradle his face lovingly, still holding them as gently as they used to. "Hey, buddy, that's not a bad thing."

Steve leans into the touch and closes his eyes to bask in the moment.

Bucky chuckles, "You may be a lot bigger now, but you're still a sensitive punk."

Steve sighs, "I am _not_."

"There's my best guy. Always up for a fight."

Steve pouts and uses his hand (his no longer bony and slender fingers with bitten nails) to shove at Bucky's chest. He's careful not to use too much force. Bucky chuckles, and Steve can feel it against his palm. Bucky's hands squeeze his cheeks before coming to settle at his shoulders.

Bucky smacks them once, lightly, and says, "Let's go back to bed, yeah? Heard the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan is getting awarded tomorrow for saving his best friend from the clutches of evil." Steve cringes at the nickname, but blushes when Bucky smiles at him so proudly.

And before Steve closes his eyes, with Bucky safely ensconced in his arms, he can't help but think how this is always meant to be.

And this time, Bucky hugs back just as tight.

**Author's Note:**

> Henlo! This is my and danteandbeatrice's (I love you 777x for bringing this story to life with me) first work together—and for another fandom, too! We've talked a lot about stevebucky on Twitter and that's how this baby came to be. It's pretty self-indulgent and we really couldn't help ourselves. 
> 
> Tell us what you think about this one and thanks so much for reading <3


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